


Day 2 - Bloody Hands

by broken_fannibal



Series: Whumptober 2018 [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depressed Merlin, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Merlin, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Oblivious Merlin, Pining Arthur, Protective Arthur, Sharing a Bed, Spoiler Alert - Freeform, Whump, Worry, well they´re both kinda oblivious tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-23 09:52:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16156643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broken_fannibal/pseuds/broken_fannibal
Summary: This is written for day 2 of la-vie-en-whump´s Whumptober Challenge.Arthur walked further into the room. And froze when he saw the blood on the floor and a pair of feet peeking out from behind his bed. He quickly rounded it, his heart gave a painful lurch when he saw it was Merlin. He lay on the floor on his belly in a pool of his own blood.





	Day 2 - Bloody Hands

Arthur was beginning to wonder where Merlin was. He hadn’t seen his idiot of a servant all day.

Neither Gwen nor Gaius had seen him since morning.

After another meeting with his father and the knights, he was finally on his way back to his chambers.

He opened the door, expecting the bed and his clothes to be the way he left them. But the bed was made. Strange.

He walked further into the room. And froze when he saw the blood on the floor and a pair of feet peeking out from behind his bed. He quickly rounded it, his heart gave a painful lurch when he saw it was Merlin. He lay on the floor on his belly in a pool of his own blood.

There was an overturned bucket next to him and brush in his hand.

Arthur kneeled down next to on the floor, turned Merlin onto his back. He still wasn’t moving. Panic settled ice cold his gut. What had happened?

“Merlin!” He grabbed his shoulders and shook him. He was cold to the touch. “Merlin, wake up!”

Merlin’s entire front was soaked in red. Arthur frantically searched for any kind of wound that could have caused this. He pushed the shirt up, found nothing. Checked his arms, also nothing. Then he saw Merlin’s hands.

Arthur carefully took one and winced. The skin of his knuckles was scraped off, his fingertips were of a raw red with crusted blood all over them. His palms didn’t look much better.

If it was only that Merlin had to be alive. Right?

Arthur was at a loss. Should he get Gaius? He didn’t want to leave Merlin alone. Should he try to treat him on his own? He had no idea what to do.

Arthur decided to get Merlin off the cold floor first. He shouldn’t put him on the bed with his wet clothes, so he cleared the table and put Merlin on it.

Merlin still didn’t move.

Arthur hurried to undress and dry him off. Then he put him on the bed and pulled the blanket over his body with his hands on top. Now he could get Gaius.

When he was at the door, he glanced back at Merlin over his shoulder. The way he lay there on the bed, breathing shallow, body limp.

Arthur realised he didn’t want to leave Merlin alone. He didn’t want him to be alone should he wake up. Maybe he’d be able to find a servant out in the hallway.

Lost in his thoughts, he bumped into someone when he left his room. It was Gwen.

“Oh.”

She bowed. “I’m sorry, my Lord.”

“No need to apologise. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Arthur made a dismissive gesture.

“Have you found Merlin?” she asked.

“Yes. He passed out in my chambers.”

“Oh, no.” Gwen covered her mouth with a hand. “How is he now?”

“He isn’t awake yet. Could you get Gaius? I’m sure he’ll be able to help. Tell him to bring bandages.”

Panic passed over her features. “Is he hurt?”

Arthur winced inwardly, he hadn’t wanted to alarm Gwen. “Only a little. He will be alright.”

“I’ll hurry.” With that, she ran off.

He nodded and quickly went back inside. With the driest article of Merlin’s clothes, he soaked up most of the water and wrung it out over the bucket.

He dropped the bloody brush into the bucket as well. Then he got his chair and sat down next to the bed. Next to Merlin.

“What in the world happened to you, Merlin?” he muttered.

 

Several minutes later Gaius came through the door. Gwen was directly behind him.

Gaius frowned deeply. “What is going on?”

“I don’t know. I found him unconscious on the floor in a puddle of water and blood.” Arthur explained.

“Water?” Gaius arched an eyebrow.

“There was a bucket and a brush next to him.” Arthurs got up, restless. “Could you help him now?”

“Yes. Yes.” Gaius set his bag down on the bed and picked up one of Merlin’s hands. He inspected it.

Gwen sat down on the opposite side of the bed and bit her fingernails.

“It looks like the skin has been rubbed or scratched off.” Gaius said.

“How could that happen?” Arthur asked.

“I don’t know. You will have to ask Merlin when he wakes up.” He had an idea but he would not go and spill out Merlin’s secrets to Arthur. So he took a bowl and filled it with some of the warm water he had brought. He submerged one of Merlin’s hand in it. The blood mingled with the water.

“Are you not worried?” Arthur had started pacing.

“I am. But I am helping him to the best of my abilities.” Gaius explained.

After a while, he took a piece of fabric and started rubbing over the parts of Merlin’s hand that weren’t completely open.

“Put more wood in the fireplace, will you?” he said to Arthur.

When he was done, he carefully dried it off and set it down on a cloth on the bed.

He proceeded the same way with the other hand.

When Gaius was drying it off, Merlin winced and opened his eyes. Tears rose to his eyes and his lower lip trembled.

Gaius put a hand to his forehead, then he slid his hand to the side of Merlin’s face and caressed it.

Merlin took shuddering breaths. He turned onto his side and curled up.

Gaius pulled his hands away from his body and applied a balm.

Merlin shivered and cried.

Gaius regarded him for a while, saw the way his eyes stared into thin air. He sighed. “Merlin? Can you sit?”

Merlin frowned but pushed himself up, careful not to touch the sheets with his hands.

When he sat Gaius pulled him into a hug.

Merlin made a small noise of surprise but didn’t protest. Gaius caressed his back and held him.

When Merlin’s breath had calmed, Gaius helped him lie down. “Now rest.” He tucked Merlin in and packed his things.

When Merlin had drifted off to sleep he went outside to talk to Arthur and Gwen.

“What is wrong with him?” Arthur asked with a harsh tone in his voice.

Gaius looked at Arthur in disapproval at the harsh tone. “I’m not sure. But I fear it might not be anything physical.”

“But his hands-“ Arthur started. 

Gaius interrupted him. “That is a consequence, not a symptom.”

Gwen frowned. “What can we do?”

“We should keep an eye on him. After what happened today I don’t think he should be left alone for too long.”

Gwen nodded.

Gaius wished them good night and turned around.

“Gaius?” Arthur called after him.

He turned around. “Yes?”

“What about Merlin?”

“What about him?” Gaius raised an eyebrow.

“When will you get him to his room?”

“I won’t. Not today. I will come to check on him in the morning. Oh, and don’t say anything insensible to him.”

“But he is sleeping in my bed,” Arthur complained.

“You will have to share, then.” Gaius turned around and walked away.

Arthur frowned and pouted.

Gwen suppressed a smile and bowed. “Good night, my lord.”

Arthur sighed and went back into his room. He took off most of his clothes and then lay down as well. Merlin lay with his back to him, the blanket tucked under his arm.

Arthur reached out to touch Merlins shoulder. It was cold.

Merlin tensed.

Arthur shuffled closed and leaned over Merlin to put the blanket over him so it wouldn’t lie on his hands but still cover the rest of his body.

Merlin mumbled something.

“What did you say?” Arthur asked.

Merlin shook his head.

Arthur frowned. “You can say it. Whatever it is.”

Merlin gave a deep sigh. “I said it’s not worth it.”

Arthur stayed quiet for a while, not knowing how to respond.

“I’m not worth it.” Merlin added quietly.

Arthur stilled. He was about to make fun of Merlin but then he remembered what Gaius had said. And the tone of Merlin's voice was... different. Rough, toneless, entirely too quiet. Hopeless.

He was silent for a while, tried to figure out what to say. “Merlin, you are worth it.”

With a huff, Merlin turned onto his back and frowned up at Arthur. His shoulder pressed against Arthur’s chest.

Arthur tensed at first, even through the fabric of his shirt he could feel how cold it was. “I mean it.” he said firmly.

Merlin scoffed and looked away. “You always tell me that I’m useless. That I’m stupid. That I can get anything right.” He sighed and mumbled. “Don’t lie to me.”

Arthur swallowed hard. “It’s true that you can be stupid sometimes.”

Merlin took a shaking breath and tears formed in his eyes.

“But that doesn't mean you aren’t worth anything. It doesn't mean you mean nothing to me.”

Merlins eyes widened, tears ran down his cheeks. His chest tightened. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. He took another shaking breath.

Arthur looked into his eyes with a strange vulnerability in his expression. He leaned a little closer, couldn’t help it.

A whimper escaped Merlin's throat.

“You may be my servant, not someone of the royal family...” he paused. “But I- I care about you. When I came into my chambers this evening and saw you there on the floor and I thought you were dead, my heart stopped. I was so scared.” He abruptly looked away.

Merlin stayed still. He wasn't sure what Arthur meant by this. Did he mean it the way he said? Could he? Surely not. He took a shaking breath and cleared his throat. “Do you mean that? Truly?”

Arthur looked at him again, fleeting, nervous. “Yes.”

Oh, that word, just one simple word. It was all but simple, Merlin felt the meaning it carried. He tried to catch Arthur's eye. “Look at me. Please.” he said after a while.

Arthur licked his lips. Then he did. His gaze met Merlin's. They looked at each other for a while.

“You mean it.” Merlin whispered, his voice cracked.

Arthur leaned even closer. He slid a hand over Merlin's chest to his other shoulder. He swallowed hard, then he leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Merlin's lips.

Merlin gasped. He chased the kiss when Arthur pulled away. He opened and closed his mouth, gone speechless. He licked his dry lips. “Arthur.” he finally said.

Arthur stayed quiet for a while. Then he took a deep breath and dared to look back at Merlin. It startled him to find no trace of rejection in his expression. Instead, there was surprise and... longing? He frowned.

Merlin raised his hand but pulled it back when he saw the dried blood and open wounds.

Arthur gently took hold of Merlin's wrist and pressed a gentle kiss to the mostly unscathed back of his hand.

Merlin looked up at him in wonder, his expression soft.

He let go of Merlin‘s wrist and leaned down to plant another kiss on his lips.

This time Merlin returned the kiss immediately.

Arthur lay his head down on the pillow next to Merlin and wrapped an arm around him under the blanket.

Merlin jumped and blushed.

“What is it?” Arthur frowned at him.

“I... am naked.” Merlin answered.

“Does that make you uncomfortable?”

Merlin closed his eyes. “A little. But I don’t think I want to get dressed now.” He nuzzled into the pillow.

Arthur nodded. “Good night.” He planted a soft kiss on Merlin´s shoulder.

“Good night.” Merlin said with a small smile on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed it please consider leaving kudos and comments! <3


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